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Students, Stress, and Social Media: Helping students handle the pressure of algorithms, outages, and new safety measures

How social media algorithms are fueling masculinity and body image pressures

The Gist: Social media algorithms are quietly shaping how students think about identity, confidence, and self-worth, and not always in the most positive or productive ways. Research shows that many boys are exposed to “digital masculinity” content that glorifies aggression, money, and unrealistic body ideals, while girls see endless posts that promote beauty standards and comparison culture. Internal platform studies reveal that teens who already feel dissatisfied with their bodies are shown nearly three times more body- or appearance-focused content than their peers. In most cases, teens do not seek this content; it finds them. As algorithms push intense definitions of masculinity, beauty, and success, many students experience intensified insecurity, anxiety, and loneliness.

What to Know: Recent studies into social media algorithms reveal that boys are often targeted with “alpha” stereotypes, fitness obsessions, and messages that normalize gender roles or emotional suppression. Girls are often targeted with beauty trends, filters, and influencer comparison loops. These patterns reinforce pressure to conform and distort what confidence and strength really look like. Even when platforms promise safer experiences, harmful content can still slip through algorithmic cracks. These slips demonstrate the continued need for Social Media Literacy, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence. These skills help students understand how social media shapes their perceptions, equipping them to take back control of their feeds and their feelings.

TSI’s Take: Social media shapes how students see themselves and their world, and algorithms play a major role in that. Since these platforms adapt based on what users interact with, it’s essential to help students intentionally engage with content that promotes confidence, curiosity, and well-being. Here are a few strategies to share with your students to help them build a more positive feed:

• Engage with the positives: Like, save, and comment on posts that make you feel inspired, informed, or happy. The more you interact with positive content, the more the algorithm will show you similar posts.
• Mute or unfollow what brings you down: If certain accounts or topics make you feel anxious or negative, hit unfollow, mute, or “not interested.” These small actions teach the algorithm what you don’t want to see.
• Search with intention: Look up creators and hashtags that focus on motivation, creativity, kindness, or your favorite hobbies. Your searches influence what shows up in your feed, so make them count

A healthier social media experience begins with awareness and action. Ready to help students handle the pressure of what they see online? Preview the #WinAtSocial Lesson, Exploring the link between social media, gaming, and body image, where students learn to think critically, uplift one another, and take control of what shapes their identity.

Instagram’s “PG-13” Makeover: Can New Rules Really Keep Teens Safe?

The Gist: Instagram is introducing a “PG-13” makeover aimed at making the platform safer for students aged 13-17. The update limits exposure to inappropriate images, dangerous challenges, explicit language, and drug-related posts. It also includes new age-gating features that prevent young users from viewing or messaging accounts that regularly post adult content, even if those accounts belong to celebrities or influencers. These changes follow mounting public pressure from parents and lawmakers concerned about Instagram’s impact on teen mental health.

What to Know: Instagram’s new safeguards mark an encouraging step toward making the platform safer for teens, introducing stronger content limits and new protections. However, experts emphasize that their success will depend on consistent enforcement and continued improvement. While these changes reflect growing awareness and action around student safety, it’s no secret that tech-savvy students often find ways around age restrictions. Questions remain about how effectively filters can block inappropriate content and keep online experiences safe. Moreover, Instagram is just one of many platforms students use, and other apps may not have similar safeguards in place. This makes Social Media Literacy and critical thinking essential for helping students navigate online risks confidently and responsibly.

TSI’s Take: It is encouraging to see one platform tightening its rules, but that alone is not enough. Students need lifelong skills, not just app filters. Schools can help students make high-character decisions online by encouraging them to:

• Recognize that “PG-13” is not always safe: Even filtered content can still promote stereotypes, comparison, or pressure to fit in. Helping students develop the skills to navigate social media with confidence creates more lasting and meaningful ways to address these challenges.
• Think before they engage: Teach students to pause before liking or sharing and ask themselves, Is this respectful? Is this safe? Does it align with who I want to be?
• Build real-life support systems: Algorithms can never replace the value of real relationships. Students should be encouraged to seek genuine connection, guidance, and support from trusted friends, family, and mentors offline.

Help students navigate any platform confidently, not just those with new safety updates. Preview the #WinAtSocial Lesson, Discovering positive role models online and off in a world of over 8 billion people, where students learn to think critically, support each other, and engage with accounts and content that lift them up.

When the Internet Goes Down: How the AWS Outage Can Be a Wake-Up Call (in a Good Way)

The Gist: A major outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS) temporarily knocked out dozens of popular websites and apps, leaving millions unable to stream, scroll, or even submit schoolwork. Because AWS supports a large portion of the internet, the disruption rippled across industries, from airlines and banking to classrooms. While the sudden loss of access was frustrating, it also offered a valuable opportunity to step away from constant connectivity and remember the importance of pausing, unplugging, and looking up from screens.

What to Know: AWS confirmed that the outage was caused by a technical issue rather than a cyberattack, yet it still disrupted more than 70 major services across the country. Businesses experienced downtime, flights were delayed, and students were unable to complete online assignments. The event underscored just how much daily life—from work and school to entertainment—depends on the internet and how quickly everything can pause when that connection is lost. At the same time, it offered an unexpected reminder to slow down, disconnect, and find balance in our routines.

TSI’s Take: A digital outage does not have to be a setback. It can be a reset. Schools can help students view these moments as chances to recharge and reconnect offline by encouraging them to:

• See downtime as a recharge opportunity: When notifications stop, so does the pressure to scroll or post. Use that time to reflect and reset or connect with friends and family IRL.
• Try something offline and meaningful: Read, move, create, or spend time with family and friends to strengthen emotional well-being.
• Practice intentional unplugging: Encourage students to build daily “tech timeouts,” like phone-free meals or limited app hours, to maintain control and focus.

Want to help students find balance between screen time and real life? Explore the #WinAtSocial Lesson, Strike a Balance: What does it mean to be smart about how we spend our time? where students learn how to unplug with purpose and strengthen their mental fitness.

Social media shapes how students see themselves, but it doesn’t have to control them. By teaching social media literacy, critical thinking, and emotional awareness, we can help students recognize unrealistic pressures and take back control of their feeds—and their confidence. Moments offline, like unexpected outages or intentional breaks, are opportunities to recharge, reconnect, and reflect. When students learn to engage intentionally and seek out positive, uplifting content, they gain the skills to navigate their world with resilience and self-assurance. Request a demo of #WinAtSocial to learn how your school can empower every student to turn social media into a tool for growth, connection, and confidence.

The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in equipping students, families, and educators with modern life skills to impact learning, well-being, and students’ futures. Through #WinAtSocial, our interactive, peer-to-peer learning platform, we integrate teacher PD, family resources, student voice insights, and more to empower entire school communities to make positive choices online and offline. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach essential skills while capturing student voice and actionable insights for educators. These insights help educators maintain a healthy school culture, foster high-impact teaching, and build meaningful relationships with families. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips students authentically, enabling our solution to increase classroom participation and improve student-teacher relationships. Through our one-of-a-kind lesson development process, we create lessons for a variety of core and elective classes, incorporating timely topics such as social media, A.I., screen time, misinformation, and current events to help schools stay proactive in supporting student health, happiness, and academic success.